Employer of The Week American Corporate Partners

Mentoring veterans following their military service is at the heart of Employer of the Week American Corporate Partners mission.

The company’s virtual one-on-one mentoring program assists veterans looking to transition to the civilian workforce with career development. 

“Our secret sauce is the human touch we put on the mentor matching,” said ACP Executive Director Collen Deere.  “It’s not a random algorithm. We know our veterans and we know our mentors.”  

Participants in the program are matched with a hand-picked mentor who is supported by ACP staff. The pairing is available for one year, allowing a total of 12 one-hour monthly sessions. 

According to ACP, many of its mentors are from Fortune 500 companies and are industry experts who simply want to give back to those who served. 

Post-9/11 veterans who have served on active duty for at least 180 days are eligible for the ACP mentorship program. Active-duty spouses are also eligible.

ACP also offers the online networking resource Advisor Net. Here, veterans can ask questions to a number of advisors while they develop additional networking opportunities. Questions like “What are the best government contracting companies to work for?” or “Does anyone have any contacts at Raytheon?” are asked and answered. Users can connect on discussion boards or in private messages, and members are searchable by location so veterans can find local mentors or in-person networking possibilities. All veterans may access Advisor Net. 

Visit here to fill out an application for the mentoring program, which includes questions about background, interests, military experience and mentoring preferences, such as gender or veteran preferences. 

ACP will reach out within 24 hours and schedule a 15-minute phone call to ask a few more clarifying questions to match the applicant with the perfect mentor. 

To date, 17,000 veterans have completed ACP’s mentorship program. In 2018, 86% of those hired during the program were still with the company in 2019. Last year, 2,000 veterans were hired while enrolled in ACP’s mentorship program with an average salary of $80,000. 

Know a great company that hires and supports veterans and the military community? Email Julia@connectingvets.com